The government office is considered a profession of licking blood off the knife’s edge. When investigating cases, one never knows who they might offend, and sometimes it could even implicate their family.
This profession often comes into contact with dangerous events. For example, Zhao Zhonghe and Zhao Yuan, if not for Xu Qing’s company during their last trip to the crime scene, they probably wouldn’t have even found their bodies.
The officials in the government office are used to this by now, so even if a colleague has an accident, they wouldn’t make a big deal out of it at the funeral house. After all, an official is considered a lowly profession, not even recognized as a proper trade.
Rather than spending a lot of money on the funeral, it’s better to save the money for the deceased’s family.
Today, Zhao Zhonghe broke the norm by asking Xu Qing to preside over Shi Quan’s funeral affairs.
If not for the long-standing relationship between him and Shi Quan, and the fact he died because of him, he wouldn’t have gone to such lengths to ask Xu Qing to preside over the funeral.
After settling the funeral expenses, Xu Qing took advantage of the time when Zhao Zhonghe and his nephew went to rent a carriage to collect the hair plucked out by the Golden Simurgh.
These personal items and hair are excellent materials for him to use in casting spells.
"Breath of all things, gather in me; Shape of all creatures, borrow unto me..."
Xu Qing chanted incantations and pinched his fingers into a spell gesture. The hair in his hand spontaneously combusted without wind. Mysteriously, his aura changed once again. When the Heaven Concealing Skill was completed, he added three more layers of barriers to obscure the celestial secrets.
At this moment, Xu Qing was both a constable and an immortal spiritual bird. No matter how others might try to pry, they couldn’t see through his true identity.
In no time, Zhao Zhonghe arrived with the carriage.
The uncle and nephew loaded the coffin onto the cart while Xu Qing went to the Incense and Candle Shop across the street to purchase some burnables.
Previously at the Child-Giving Temple, he had burned all the incense candles and paper money for those infants, and now he needed to replenish some new burnables.
Arriving at the Incense and Candle Shop, the shopkeeper Cheng Caiyun was there checking the account books.
Seeing Xu Qing come over, Cheng Caiyun stopped fiddling with the abacus, her eyes brightened, and she said, "Scholar Xu dressed , could it be specially for the sister-in-law to see?"
Xu Qing was still wearing the green-hemmed white satin long robe made by the embroidery girl, but it was the first time the widow of the Incense and Candle Shop had seen it.
"If I dressed especially for Shopkeeper Cheng, could you give me more discounts in the future?"
Cheng Caiyun smirked at this and quickly returned to her usual tone.
"Better wear it for some other young lady to see. I run a small business, can’t afford you messing around."
While Cheng Caiyun was organizing the goods, Xu Qing’s gaze wandered around, and when he spotted a strand of hair on the abacus, he couldn’t help but smile.
He picked up the hair, and with the Heaven Concealing Skill applied, the hair dissolved into dots of light and vanished into thin air.
Now he had yet another layer of identity.
After buying the incense candle, Xu Qing went next door to visit Madam Wu of the Paper Mache Shop.
"Zhiyuan and Wencai have been away for days without sending any message. Do you think something happened to them..."
Xu Qing handed over the silver coins made from selling paper mache on behalf of the shop, comforting her, "The capital city is far away, even delivering a letter takes some days. Moreover, being in a strange place, they need time to adapt. Don’t worry too much, madam."
After that, Xu Qing stood up, "We are all neighbors here. If you encounter any difficulty in the future, feel free to speak out, no need to hold back."
Leaving the Paper Mache Shop, Xu Qing then visited the shroud shop and coffin shop.
Unfortunately, despite searching everywhere in the coffin shop, he couldn’t find a single strand of hair.
Hu Baosong watched Xu Qing’s eyes scanning back and forth, frowning, "What mischief are you up to again? There are no treasures hidden in my shop."
Xu Qing withdrew his gaze and looked at Hu Baosong’s full head of white hair.
"Old Hu, you and your kin from the Fox Race, don’t you shed hair?"
He then glanced at Daoist Yizhen, who was reading a scripture on the side.
The Taoist nun had perhaps just finished washing her hair, as her black hair cascaded like a waterfall, while her usual Lotus Bun Crown was placed beside the table.
Hu Baosong, hearing Xu Qing’s words and recalling his previous searching behavior, immediately glared, "What are you up to? Did you learn some evil demon technique, plotting mischief?"
Hu Baosong suddenly realized, "I’ve heard that the Witchcraft and Gu Sect has an exotic technique. By using other people’s hair, they can control them, making even enemies obey, as if the closest kin. Such Gu technique, they call Love Gu..."
Thinking of this, Hu Baosong glared, "You rascal, did you learn this evil technique during your recent absence?"
Yizhen’s attention was drawn to Xu Qing.
"Where in the world is such a technique? If hair alone could make someone obedient, the Witchcraft and Gu Sect would have long dominated the world, instead of being confined to the Southern Border..."
Hu Baosong’s expression relaxed a bit, "If that’s the case, why are you looking for hair?"
Xu Qing pondered slightly.
The Heaven Concealing Skill is merely a technique to obscure celestial secrets, not affecting the target of the borrowed magic.
For example, if Xu Qing used Hu Baosong’s hair for casting, no matter how others divined or predicted, they would only deduce he was an old fox near the end of its lifespan.
It essentially muddled perceptions and deceived the heavens, but this Heaven Concealing Skill wasn’t meant to fool human eyes; it obscured celestial secrets from the root.
As this was difficult to explain, Xu Qing simply said, "Human hair is spiritual medicine. Medical books state that hair, being the remnant of blood, can be refined into blood remnant charcoal. This not only promotes tissue regeneration and stops bleeding, but also cures hemorrhage, making it a precious remedy for women, a treasure for wives..."